Clip-on lamp fixture



Sept. 5, 1967 B. M. IMRE CLIP-ON LAMP FIXTURE Filed Aug. 23, 1965 INVENTOR. BERTHA M. lMRE United States Patent Ofiice 3,340,390 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 3,340,390 CLIP-ON LAMP FIXTURE Bertha M. Imre, 601 W. 138th St., New York, NY. 10031 Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,657 4 Claims. (Cl. 240-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE disposed slot.

My invention is directed toward lamp fixtures.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved lamp fixture adapted to be detachably secured or clipped on to Christmas trees and the like.

Another object is to provide a new and improved lamp fixture of the character indicated which contains its own removable lamp and its own electric power source whereby a plurality of such fixtures can be used for Christmas tree wiring without using the conventional wiring strings.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved lamp fixture of the character indicted which can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings 'wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a bottom View thereof;

FIG. 4 is across sectional view through line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is across sectional side view through line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one part used in my invention; and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view through 7-7 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7, there is shown a hollow electrically conductive vertical cylinder 10 open at both ends. The top end 12 is internally threaded to receive removably the base 14 of a Christmas tree type incandescent lamp 16. The other and lower end 18 is externally threaded to receive a removable electrically conductive cap 22.

One or more electric dry cells 20 (if more than one cell is used, these cells are connected in series) is inserted in the cylinder so that the bottom of the cell (which is one electric terminal thereof) is electrically connected through cap and casing to the base 14 (i.e. one electric terminal) of the lamp. The top and other terminal 24 of the cell is separated from the second lamp terminal 26 by a switch 36.

The switch comprises two generally horizontal electrically conductive strips 28 and 30 positioned one above the other and separated by a horizontal annulardisc 32 having a central opening 33. The ends of these strips electrically insulated from each other are secured together by end buttons 34. Switch 36 is adapated for horizontal sliding motion back and forth within the cylinder.

When the switch is in the OFF position shown in phantom in FIG. 4, the center of disc 32 is offset from terminal 26, the strips 28 and '30 are out of contact with each other and the lamp is oh. When the switch is in the ON position, the center of disc 32 is in alignment with terminal 26, and those portions of strips 28 and 30 spanning opening 33 in disc 32 are moved into electric contact with each other. Since strip 28 always in contact with terminal 26 and strip 30 is always in contact with terminal 24, this electric contact energizes the lamp.

Cylinder 10 is provided with an arm 38 which extends horizontally outward then downward from the top end of the cylinder to form a first clip. The base of cap 22 is provided with a horizontal circular slot 40 which forms a second clip.

By means of these clips, the lamp fixture described above can be detachably fastened to a branch ofa Christmas tree in a variety of different positions. Moreover, a plurality of such fixtures can be secured to such a tree in spaced apart positions with no electrical connections therebetween, thus providing a safer arrangement with no unsightly electric cords and the like.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lamp fixture comprising a hollow vertically electrically conductive cylinder open at the top and bottom ends, an incandescent lamp engaging said upper end and separated from said base and pointing downward therefrom, said base constituting a second lamp electrode, an electrically conductive cap threadedly engaging said bottom end, at least one dry cell in said cylinder having a top electrode and a bottom electrode, the bottom electrode being connected electrically through the cap and cylinder to the second lamp electrode, and a switch horizontally disposed in said cylinder intermediate the top electrode and the tip electrode and horizontally slidable between a first position at which said tip and electrodes are interconnected and the lamp is lit and a second position .at which the tip and top electrodes are electrically separated and the lamp is dark, said switch comprising upper and lower horizontally extending flexible electrically conductive strips and an electrically nonconductive horizontal annular disc having a central opening interposed between said strips.

2. A fixture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opening is centered between the tip and top electrodes when the switch is in the first position and is offset from the tip and top electrodes when the switch is in the second position. I

3. A fixture as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cap is provided with a horizontal circular slot.

4. A fixture as set forth in claim 3 further including an arm extending outward and downward from the top end of the cylinder, providing a space between the cylinder and arm and constituting a clip for receiving a branch of a Christmas tree when the cylinder is vertically disposed for supporting the fixture on the Christmas tree, the base of the cap being slotted and constituting a clip for selectively receiving a branch of a Christmas tree for supporting the fixture on the Christmas tree.

a tip electrode insulatedly References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,375,586 4/1921 Graves 24010.66 2,373,553 4/1945 Fetterman 24010.68 2,779,865 1/1957 Hermeyer et a1. 240-52.5 3,004,140 10/ 1961 Gomes 2406.46

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

having a base threadedly 

1. A LAMP FIXTURE COMPRISING A HOLLOW VERTICALLY ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CYLINDER OPEN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS, AN INCANDESCENT LAMP HAVING A BASE THREADEDLY ENGAGING SAID UPPER END AND A TIP ELECTRODE INSULATEDLY SEPARTED FROM SAID BASE AND POINTING DOWNWARD THEREFROM, SAID BASE CONSTITUTING A SECOND LAMP ELECTRODE, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CAP THREADEDLY ENGAGING SAID BOTTOM END, AT LEAST ONE DRY CELL IN SAID CYLINDER HAVING A TOP ELECTRODE AND A BOTTOM ELECTRODE, THE BOTTOM ELECTRODE BEING CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY THROUGH THE CAP AND CYLINDER TO THE SECOND LAMP ELECTRODE, AND A SWITCH HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER INTERMEDIATE THE TOP ELECTRODE AND THE TIP ELECTRODE AND HORIZONTALLY SLIDABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AT WHICH SAID TIP AND ELECTRODES ARE INTERCONNECTED AND THE LAMP IS LIT AND A SECOND POSITION AT WHICH THE TIP AND TOP ELCTRODES ARE ELECTRICALLY SEPARATED AND THE LAMP IS DARK, SAID SWITCH COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE STRIPS AND AN ELECTRICALLY NONCONDUCTIVE HORIZONTAL ANNULAR DISC HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID STRIPS. 